Chassis for motor vehicles



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,603

E. R.-WHITNEY cnAgsxs' FOR MOTOR'VEHICLES Filed Sept. 5, 1924 2 sums-sheet. 1

Nov. 20; 1928. I 1,692,603

E. R. 'WHITNEY CHASSIS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed se x. s, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

" NITED"- STA A 1,692,603 TES PATENT OFFICE.

EDDY R. WHITNEY, OF PHILADELPHIA,-PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY IEESHE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO WALKER VEHICLE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION or ILLINOIS.

Application filed September The. invention relates to the chassis of electrically-driven vehicles, and the principal objcct of the invention is to provide a novel form of chassis providing a maximum clearance between the bottom of an underslung battery box and the ground. and without at the same time raising the floor of the body nor elevating the part of the chassis frame over the axles to which the springsare at tached. V

The invention further resides in certain novel and advantageousdetails of construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chassis made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the chassis, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

It is customary in vehicles employing electric drives to utilize chassisof the same general construction as employed in motor vehicles of other types, and to' provide these chassis with means for under-slinging the box which houses the batteries. While this construction has been found generally satisfactory, there are some sections of the country in which conditions are such that it is desirable, where the maximum clearance afforded by the usual construction is not-sufficient, to increase the clearance between the bottom of the battery box and the ground. To fill this requirement, I have developed a chassis construction which without undue. complication or undue increase in manufacturing cost pro-' vides the clearance required without raising the body floor, and still affording satisfactory mounting for the springs.

With reference to the drawings, the chassis comprises the usual longitudinal side beams 1. and 52 joined together by cross bars 3. Instead, however, of being substantially straight as in the usual construction, these side beams 1 and 2 are formed intermediate their ends with an elevated section forming a recess of such dimensions as to accommodate the batteries, which thereby are elevated to an extent corresponding to the depth of this re-- cess.

In forming this recess, I preferto' employ instead of integral side beams, beams composed of three sections,a forward section 4, a rear section 5, and an intermediate elevated section 6'. The elevated section 6 is secured to the sections 4 and 5 by means of plates 7, 7,

CHASSIS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

5, 1924. Serial No. 736 049.

plates extending above the tops of the said front and rear sections, as best shown in Fig. 0

0. To the upwardly projectingportions of the plates 7 are secured the ends of the intermediate section 6, by means in the present instance of rivets 9. The front, rear and intermediate sect-ions are in the present instance formed of channel iron and are placed on edge after the usual fashion, thetlanges or legs of the channels constituting the front and rear sections being turned inwardly, and the plate 7 being secured to the outside of the channels. The intermediate channels 6 are disposed with their flanges or legs projecting outwardly and are secured to the outer face of the said plate 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thereby being offset laterally from the aligned front andrear sections. v

VVit-h this construction, I may employ the usual wooden body-supporting beam 10, which rests upon the tops of the front and rear sections of the side beams and bridges the space therebetween, the side of the beam abutting the inside of the plates 7, as shown. The offset nature of the intermediate sections, it will be noted, permits the beams 10 to occupy their normal positions above the front and rear side beam sections. 7

Suspended below the intermediate sections 6, 6, are the usual slings which support the floor of the casing 11, these supporting slings comprising base bars 12 supported at their ends by diagonal bars 13 and 14: whose upper ends are attached respectively to the front and rear frame sections 4 and 5. Seated on these slings, one of which is positioned at each. side of the frame, is the box or casing 11, which preferably is built-in but which obviously may take any one of a large number of forms. The casing extends upwardly between the ends of front and rear sections and abuts the under side of the body beam 10, the elevation of the intermediate frame sections 6, 6, providing the additional head room required to give the deslred clearance between the road and the bars 12.

Referring to the general practice of mount-, mg bodies on automobile chassis by means of longitudinal wooden members or stringers which rest on the top of and are attached to the chassis frame, and upon which the body proper is constructed, the hereindescribed arrangement of the frame members of the chassis will permit of this: method of meunting the body without increasing its floor height, at the same time giving the additional ground clearance under the battery. This 18 done by placing the longitudinal wooden stringers or beams 10, see Fig. 3, in their usual position on top of the frame members 4 and 5 and as described continuing them in one piece over the batteryv compartment 11. Thisis-made possible by elevating and offsetting the intermediate sections ofthe side beams. This construction also leaves the side beams 1 and 2 at their normal location at the front and rear ends, which are the parts to which the springs are attached. It will be seen that this permits of a more desirable spring design than if the side beams were continued for their fulllength in the elevated position of the mid sections over the battery compartment.

I claim: i a

1. In a chassis frame, thercombination With side beams comprising each a front section, a rear section aligned with and spaced apart from the front section, and an intermediate section connecting said front and rear sections and offset therefrom both laterallyand upwardly, and a body-supporting beam meunted: over the tops ofisaid frontandi rear sections and bridging the space therebetween.

2. In a chassis frame, the combination with side beams comprising each a front-section, a rear section aligned with and spaced apart from the front section, and an intermediate section connecting and'occupying aposition laterally and above saidfrontand rear sections, the offset arrangement of said intermediate sect-ions providing for the placing of a body-supporting beam directlyxover said front and rear sections and bridging the space therebetween;

3. Ina chassis fram'e,thecombination with side beams comprising each a front section,

a rear section aligned with and spaced apart from the front section, andan intermediate section uniting and displaced from said front and rear sections both laterally and upwardly, and a bodv-supporting beam mounted over the tops of said side beams andabutting the intermediate sections.

' 4. In a chassis frame, the combination with side beams comprising each a front section, arear section aligned with and spaced apart from the front section, an intermediateconnecting section above and offset laterally from said front and rear sections, a bodysupporting beam mounted above the tops of said front and rear sections, and a casing extending into the space between said front outer facesrof each of said plates ata point above the said front andrear sections, a bodysupporting beam extending along-the to of and bridging the space between: said font and rear sections, a casing extendinginto the space between said front and rear sections and abutting the under side of saidbeams, and means for supporting'said casing,

6. In a chassis frame, the combinationwit la .side beamscomprisingeach a front 'sect'ion and a rear section aligned with and spaced I apart from the front section, a-body-su pport ing beam restingdirectly on the-tops ofsa'id side beams and bridgingthevs'pace between 7 said front and rearsections,andmeaansinde pendent of said beams for rigidly connecting the adjacent ends of the front and rear see tions together.

, EDDY R. -WHITNEY.- I 

